Ants much more than a nuisance

5:07 PM,
Jun. 21, 2013

Fire ants first came to the United States in the 1930s.

Written by

Keith Winsten
| For FLORIDA TODAY

Although the media likes to make a big deal about large invasive species like Burmese Pythons, my mother-in-law would tell you it's the tiny ones that actually affect the quality of life in Florida - and she would be right.

What E.O. Wilson calls "the little creatures that run the world," ants and other insects have a much bigger impact on life here than a few hefty snakes.

And invasive insects are probably showing up in Florida on almost a daily basis. We just tend to ignore most of them. But a few species of invasive ants have made headlines in the past, and I suspect more will in the future. ...